Some Life...
by saiyantrombone
Summary: Maybe I should result to playful insults more ^_^ I got more people to read this time! This is my big AU, Vegeta-sei never blew up and stuff... Give it a shot ^_^
1. School Daze

Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball Z... If I did, I wouldn't be a poor college student... But I do own the characters Kori, Melissa, Kori's mom, Coach Ohm, and Professor Watts, so don't you dare use them without my permission...   
  
AN/Warnings: Ok, guys... So this is gonna be a really incredibly long AU fic with lots of action, adventure, battle, a little romance, some angst, and just about everything... There is NO BULMA! So if you're completely and totally B/V loyal, don't go any farther at all... Like I said, this fic will be an EPIC, so don't be upset if stuff doesn't happen quickly, cause I'm in this one for the long haul... The rating right now is PG-13 for just a smidge of language, though I promise a lemon or perhaps more in much much later chapters. They won't be here for a good long while, though, because, as in life, stuff like that takes TIME to develop! Another warning about this fic is that it revolves around a lot of OC's, so if you hate stories with original characters, you don't even have to start reading. Ok, so you've read the warnings and none of them apply to you, the only thing I have to say is, hope you like it!  
  
By the way //blah, blah, blah// is internal thoughts...  
  
  
***THANKS TO LYNZ FOR BETA-ING AND GIVING ME THE TITLE AND THE COURAGE TO POST THIS!!!***   
  
  
  
Kori brushed her straying hair out of her face and grabbed her backpack. //I can't be late,// she thought as she rushed out the door. This was her first day at high school and she didn't want to make a bad impression on her teachers. It was also quite a distance from her house, so she'd have to fly to the outskirts of the city and walk from there. She ran a few yards from the house and crouched down, getting ready to launch herself into the air.  
  
"Wait," her mom yelled after her. "You forgot your lunch!" The short older woman held out a bag to her daughter. Kori walked back towards her mother, unsnaking her tail from underneath her baggy t-shirt and grabbing the bag with it. "Remember what I said about using your tail, and not showing how powerful you are. You don't want to cause any commotion at school, right?"  
  
She nodded her head. "I remember, mom. I just figured this is the last time I'll get to use it for a few hours, so I might as well make it count." She smiled warmly and bent down to hug her mother. "See you when I get home, mom." She turned and jogged off in the other direction.  
  
"Bye! Have a good first day!" Her last words went nearly unheard as Kori launched into the sky. The wind felt so good whipping past her, she almost forgot where she was going. It seemed no matter how many times she flew, she'd never get tired of it. She touched down at the edge of Northeastern City, taking her bag lunch into her hand and hiding her tail around her waist under her shirt. She started to follow the directions from the letter she'd received from the school. After jogging a few blocks, she saw the tall building ahead of her with the school seal on it, just like on her letter.  
  
//This must be the place,// she thought to herself. She checked her watch. 8:20. //Great, right on time! Well, no time to waste, class starts in ten minutes.// Once inside the building, she found the room listed on her schedule for her first class, Ancient Civilizations. She walked through the door rather timidly, and searched for the teacher. There was a short, balding, slightly chubby older man in a suit organizing some books on the podium in front of the class. //Guess that's him.// She walked towards the man and caught his attention. "Excuse me, sir. My name's Kori. I'm the new student from district 227." She extended her hand towards him, trying not to look like too much of a suck-up.   
  
The chubby man looked up, taking her hand and shaking it vigorously. "Yes, Kori! We here at Northeastern have been expecting you. You did very well on your entrance exams. It's not often home-schoolers are as advanced as you. Especially with you joining the school a year early at the tender age of 17! I'm professor Watts. Welcome to Ancient Civilizations, I hope you enjoy the class." He smiled genuinely at her.  
  
"Thank you, sir. I'm sure I will."  
  
"Your seat is right up there," he said, pointing to an empty desk between two students. She nodded and headed towards her desk, plopping her backpack and lunch down as she got there. Now would come the true test of whether going to a public school was for the best or not. Her looks were so different from the other students' in the room. Aside from her tail, which she would take care that no one knew about, her hair was an unruly mass of light brown spikes falling every which way around her head. Even cut short in the style she'd grown to love, her hair refused to cooperate with any kind of attempt to style it in a different fashion. Her eyes were onyx, void of any color, yet shining with the intensity of a hundred stars. Her frame was not the typical feminine one. Her height of about 5'6" was one thing that was average about her, yet her broad shoulders and defined physique of aptly sized muscles hinted at the raw power her body contained. She did have attributes that marked her as definitely female. Curves in the right places, smaller, deceptively delicate hands, soft facial features. But unlike the other girls she saw, she did nothing to try and artificially enhance her appearance. No makeup, no distinctively feminine clothes. She dressed for comfort in jeans, worn in sneakers, and a t-shirt. She was secretly afraid of how the other students would react to her appearance. She thought about trying to fit in as best she could while still retaining her independence.   
  
The girl in the desk next to her seemed to notice her silent thoughtfulness. "Hey there," she said, trying to break the ice.  
  
Kori, startled, whipped around to look at the girl. "Uh, hi," she returned. She hadn't really expected anyone to speak to her. The girl looked genuinely friendly. //Good, at least I'm not getting made fun of... yet.// She flashed a small smile. "I'm Kori. What's your name?"  
  
"I'm Melissa." The girl held out her hand, which Kori took, shaking it in greeting. The girl looked pretty average except that her hair, though at first glance appeared a kind of dark reddish-brown, was actually closer to very deep purple. "Don't worry too much about this place. Most of the people are really nice. And, no offense, but I don't think too many people would even consider trying to bother you."  
  
Kori grinned openly. "No offense taken." One of the things she prided herself on was her strength. She'd always had unnatural strength... Not just for a female, child, or whatever you wanted to classify her as, but for anyone, period. She thought back to the time her dog had run out in the street. She was 8 years old. A huge big-rig was heading straight for him. The next thing she knew, she was in front of the truck, holding it in place with one hand. She had always seemed stronger than an average child, but that stunt was beyond the comprehension of her mother. It had occurred to her rather quickly that with power like that, it would have to be tempered greatly in order to prevent huge catastrophes. Her mother, who was an experienced martial artist herself, had trained her from that day on to control her strength. She looked back at Melissa. "Yeah, I think I can take care of myself in that department." She almost smirked in her confidence. She rolled up her right sleeve, jokingly striking a pose, and flexed her bicep in a mock-bodybuilder style, which sent Melissa into a fit of laughter. Their joviality was soon interrupted by the rapping of a meter stick on the chalkboard, signaling the beginning of class.   
  
***  
  
Kori set her bag lunch down opposite Melissa at the table. "I can't believe we have the exact same schedule. That's wild!" She was pretty excited to have someone who would talk to her in all her classes. The day had gotten off to a pretty good start. In the two classes prior to lunch, they had been able to sit next to one another, and even got to be lab partners in Physics. School might not be as hard to deal with as she thought. She looked down to Melissa's tray at the "food" the school supplied and silently thanked her mother for the packed lunch, then began to lay her food out in front of her: five cheese and tomato sandwiches (she hated cold lunch meat), a large thermos of chicken noodle soup, two apples, a pudding cup, and a 20 oz bottle of water. She started to lay into the meal as Melissa dropped her... whatever it was... and just gawked at Kori's food.  
  
"Y-you're not going to eat all THAT... Are you?" Melissa was more than startled at the amount of food this one not-so-large person was consuming.  
  
Kori looked up, her cheeks puffed out with bites of cheese sandwich. "Yrrh, rr dhn nh hy rr eeg sho nch..." She tried to talk, but noticed that Melissa wasn't responding. She actually looked like she was trying to hold in an uncontrollable fit of laughter.  
  
"Would you mind repeating that without food in your mouth, dork?" She managed to choke down her laughter to avoid making a scene.   
  
"*GULP* Hey! You don't have to call me names... nerd... What I was trying to say was: I don't know why I eat so much... I've never really gained weight from it, and if I eat less I get really weak and sick, so there's no reason to change my eating habits, right?"  
  
"Yeah, I suppose you're right. Man, you're lucky if you can eat that much and not gain weight. I wish I could." Melissa watched as Kori polished off the rest of her meal, shaking her head periodically at the sight. She checked her watch. 12:25. "Hey, Kori, c'mon. It's almost time for P.E."  
  
Kori got up, throwing her trash away. //Great,// she thought, //here comes the real test. Can I control my power enough to not get noticed?// She took a deep breath, and followed Melissa to the gym.  
  
***  
  
"Ok, class. For those of you who don't know," he glared at Kori, "I'm coach Ohm. Today we're going to learn some basic self defense maneuvers." He crossed his arms and glared at the lineup of girls. "None of us really would like to admit it, but there are people in this world who would try and take advantage of girls like you. I'm going to teach you some of the basic things you can do in situations where your dignity, or your life, is being threatened."  
  
Kori just sighed. She knew self-defense wouldn't really be a problem for her, so she just looked down, trying to remember all the things her mom had told her. //Keep your power in check. Don't use your tail. And whatever you do, don't fly...// "You, new girl!" Kori's head snapped up. "Since you don't seem too interested, let's try and get you involved," said coach Ohm, walking slowly up to her. //Oh great... Why couldn't you just pay attention and try to remain inconspicuous?//   
  
"The first thing we're going to learn is how to escape from some basic wristlocks. Everyone gather around and our new volunteer and I will demonstrate." The coach glared down at Kori. "Now, give me your hand." Kori held her hand out, and tried to act like Ohm wasn't being such an asshole. He grabbed her tightly round the wrist, and said, "Ok, now lets see if you can get out of the wristlock without knowing the proper maneuver first."   
  
Kori looked up into his eyes. On his face was a smug looking smirk that seemed to say 'just try it, cause I know some little girl like you can't handle yourself'. That look was what really sent her over the edge. //That jerk... I know I'm going against my better judgment, but I can't let him mess with me like that.// Her face contorted into a scowl as she set her jaw and glared up at him. With a quick jerk, which was invisible to the class, her hand was free and out to the side, and coach Ohm was grasping nothing but air.  
  
There were startled gasps and murmurs of excitement from the class. Coach Ohm, just for a second, let his guard down and gawked, eyes trailing from his empty hand out to Kori's hand, which still had not moved from its place in the air. It was her turn to smirk. "Was that ok," she asked, innocently.  
  
"Y-y-yeah... Um, that was f-fine," he managed to stammer out. He seemed like he was in a bit of a daze. However, something in him was unwilling to accept the display. His face hardened back into his usual glare. "Ok, lets move on to the next maneuver. Now, if I may have your hand again?"  
  
She obligingly held out her hand, which the coach grabbed with both hands, one on the wrist and the other slightly higher on the arm. //Jeez, this guy doesn't know when to quit!// She considered playing the weak little girl, but something in her had gotten so excited to show off that she couldn't let it end now. She was having too much fun! She tried to think of something to really knock the coach off his feet...  
  
"Would you like to learn the maneuver first, or give it a whirl on your own," asked coach Ohm, patronizingly. She smirked up at him, drawing his attention away from her hand. She rotated her wrist around, grabbing his wrist as well, then pushed forward, taking his arm to the side and behind him as he lost his grip with the other hand. She did these moves slowly enough so that the class could see, then sped up till she wasn't even a blur, stepping beneath his arm and pulling, using the leverage of his height with his twisted arm to send him sprawling, head over heals, to the mat. Of course, all the girls saw was one second, Kori had the coach in a compromising position, and the next second, the coach was on the mat, and Kori was standing there like nothing had ever happened. The girls in the class just stood there in awe. Melissa, who had watched the past events with curiosity and amusement, was now utterly shocked at the strength and agility of her newfound friend. Not to mention the audacity... "DUDE!!!" Melissa couldn't contain her excitement.  
  
Kori just stood there and crossed her arms, looking rather pleased with herself. She even allowed herself a small chuckle as the coach tried to rise from the floor. //Hey, even though he deserved it, maybe you went just a little to far there. Time to rein it in!// Her face became more somber as the coach finally made it to his feet. This time when he looked at her, it was with a look of awe and something else... was it... fear? She tried to shake it off. //I would never harm him. Just his pride. There's no reason to fear me.//   
  
Coach Ohm glanced nervously at Kori. He turned to the girls and prepared to play off his huge misjudgment. "Well, I think you've learned enough for the day, girls. I'm going to give you the rest of class off. You're dismissed." There was a murmur of gossiping from the girls as they walked towards the locker room. Melissa stood to the side of the locker room entrance to wait for Kori. Kori just stood there, arms crossed, waiting for the rest of the girls to be out of hearing range. The coach looked as if he really wanted to talk to her. She felt sudden remorse at having embarrassed him so much. She opened her mouth to try to apologize, but he raised his hand to cut her off, "No. I just want to know one thing. Do you have experience in the Martial Arts?"  
  
"Yes. Ever since I can remember." Her mother had always been insistent on her learning Martial Arts. "Why?"  
  
"Because it makes me feel a lot better knowing that I've been shamed by someone who's been in training their whole life. Maybe we could strike a deal. I'm sorry I assumed so much about you."  
  
"I'm sorry I embarrassed you. And what kind of deal are you talking about?"  
  
"I've been looking for a sparring partner. I'm not as much of a pushover as I might seem. I think there's a lot I could learn from you, and you from me. If you'll be my sparring partner, and promise not to embarrass me in front of the class, I can teach you some new techniques, and I'll leave you alone in class."  
  
Kori pondered over the coach's offer. Leaving her alone in class would make it easier not to get noticed like she had today... And she was always looking for new techniques to add to her fighting style. There might be something truly useful Coach Ohm could teach her. She had to make sure that he was in earnest. One look at his face confirmed it. No one could fake a look of enthusiasm and earnestness as genuine as the one on his face. "Deal," she said, offering her hand for the third time, which the coach took, shaking curtly.   
  
"We start tomorrow. Meet me on the practice football field in back of the school at 6," he said, turning from her and returning to his office. Kori smiled. Maybe he's not so bad as he seems. Her thoughts were interrupted by Melissa running up to her as soon as the coach was out of range.   
  
"Wow! That was some move you put on Coach Ohm! You moved so fast, I could barely see you!" She clapped a hand on her new friend's shoulder, and pulled it away feeling as if she'd just smacked a brick wall. She shook it off, though. "Hey, c'mon, we've got a little while before English and we can go to the library if you want."  
  
Kori smiled. She loved books. "Sure, lets go."  
  
***  
  
AN: Well, there's the first chappie ^_^ Please review and tell me your thoughts... Constructive flames are cool, but no flaming on anything that was covered in the warning! Next time, Kori goes home and we get to meet her mom- something about Kori's past is revealed... and... We get to find out where Vegeta is ^_^  
  
::Rapo:: That Kori's a character...  
  
*blinks* Er... yeah...   
  
::Rapo:: I especially liked the part about lunch ^_^  
  
*sigh* You would...  
  
::Rapo:: .............. Speaking of which....  
  
*looks up from watch* Wow, 10 seconds, that's the longest you've waited to ask about food... ever... ^_^ C'mon, lets go get some cheese sandwiches.  
  
::Rapo:: ^_^ 


	2. Cookies and Visions (AKA Just like your ...

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or any of its characters... But Kori, her mom, Melissa, Coach Ohm, Professor Watts, and Donny are all mine, so don't take 'em unless you ask me first!!!  
  
AN/Warnings: Ok, if you're reading chapter 2, I'm assuming that you read the warnings for Ch. 1 and you're ok with them. Don't forget that //blah, blah, blah,// is internal monologue. Hope you guys like this next chapter ^_^  
  
***  
  
Kori heaved a sigh of relief as she took to the air. She let her tail uncurl from around her waist and stretched it out lazily behind her. It had been one hell of a first day. Her classes seemed as if they would be pretty fun. She'd always like learning new things. She was pretty excited about her sparring session with the coach, too. //Crazy how that guy did a complete 180...// She'd also come across an interesting book in the library. It was about an ancient legend of 7 magic balls that, when gathered together, summoned a huge dragon that granted a wish to whosoever gathered the balls. It seemed completely impossible, but intriguing, nonetheless. So she had borrowed the book, intent on becoming more familiar with the legend.  
  
As she neared her house, she tried to think of some way to avoid telling her mother about gym class. //If mom found out that I threw the gym teacher on his ass, I'd be in deep trouble.// She touched down about half a mile from the house, deciding to walk the rest of the way. In the middle of her contemplation, she noticed something strange. It felt as if something familiar was very far off, so far that it wouldn't get there for a while, yet she knew it was coming closer. It was so faint, but she could feel it. She just shook it off. //There are more important things to worry about right now... Like convincing mom that you had a wonderful, uneventful first day of school...// She hated lying to her mom, but there was no reason to alarm her. Nothing bad had come of the little scene in the gym, so there was no reason to cause undo stress. She came up to the house, took a deep breath, plastered a smile on her face, and opened the door.  
  
She was nearly bowled over by a very large, very slobbery jovial canine. "Hiya pups! Did 'ya miss me today?" The big yellow dog, front paws perched on her shoulders, began bathing her face in huge laps of his tongue. She laughed as she turned her face to avoid his 'kissing' and hugged him tight round the shoulders. "Well, I sure missed you, Donny!" She reached up and rumpled the loose skin and fur at the base of his head. He tried to jump even further into her arms, but she pushed him down. He made a pathetic whimpering noise in protest. "Hey, c'mon, I have to come in the house sometime!" She walked into the house, wiped her face clean of slobber, pulled the door shut behind her, and walked into the living room, panting yellow dog following her step for step. "Mom, I'm home," she yelled, plopping down on the couch and lavishing more affection on her 'pup'.  
  
"So, how was your first day, hun," the older woman asked from the kitchen. She was already busy preparing supper.  
  
"It was pretty cool, mom," Kori admitted happily. "My classes are all really neat. I think I'll be learning a lot. And I already made a friend! Her name's Melissa. She's pretty funny, and we have the same exact class schedule." Kori hesitated, trying to figure out how to convince her mom she would have to leave a couple hours early in the morning for a sparring session she didn't exactly want her mom to know about. She couldn't figure anything out, so she decided to just change the subject. "So, how were things at the bakery?"  
  
"Pretty good... Lots of sales today. There's a big custom design wedding cake order for some rich family, so it's giving me something to work on. I brought back some of your favorite chocolate chip cookies... They're fresh, too. Just got out of the oven before I came home." She mentally counted down from 3, and her daughter appeared at the doorway to the kitchen, hugging the doorframe with her mouth slightly agape and watering. She smiled in that knowing way only mothers have, and proceeded with the usual speech, "You know the drill, Kori, not until after dinner. I know, it's not like it'd ruin your appetite, but it's a lesson in patience." She sighed, "Just like your father," she whispered, almost to herself.  
  
Kori returned the sigh. "Did he love your cookies, too, mom?" Her mother looked up, shocked, as if she hadn't realized she'd said what she had. She turned back to her cooking in thought.  
  
Smiling half-heartedly, she said, "You know, I think if your father could've eaten nothing but those cookies all day, he would have..." A single tear slid down her cheek. Kori walked up to her mother and embraced her warmly.  
  
"Aww, I'm sorry I asked about him. It's ok. You don't have to tell me any more if you don't want to." Kori didn't know much about her father. It seemed to really upset her mother every time she talked about him, so she tried to avoid the subject. But damned if she didn't want to know more about what he was like. She sighed and squeezed her mother's shoulders comfortingly.   
  
Her mother backed away slightly and looked up into her face. "No, you're growing up, and you deserve to know more about him than you do. I don't think I'm ready to tell you everything yet, but I'll tell you one thing, for tonight. Your father was the singular reason I started my bakery." She chuckled a little, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. "He had a tremendous appetite, more than twice yours! He just kept saying, 'Sharon-chan, your cookies and cakes are so good, you could make a killing if you started a business off of them!' One day I guess I figured out that he wasn't just kidding, so I went out and got a loan to buy our bakery. It turned out he was right." She smiled at her daughter. "It barely took a month for people to spread the news about the bakery, and once word got around, I had so much business I didn't know what to do!"  
  
"Wow, mom... So if dad hadn't had such a sweet tooth, you probably would never have had the money for me to go to school..." Kori grinned. "Guess that means I shouldn't feel bad about eating so many sweets."  
  
"Now, I wouldn't go that far," she said, smiling at her daughter. "You need to eat right to keep yourself going. Speaking of which, I'd better tend to this dinner. You go do your homework and we'll talk some more over dinner."  
  
"Ok, mom," she replied, turning back to the living room. "Call me if you need any help."  
  
***  
  
Kori sat on her bed, looking out her window at the thumbnail of a moon in the clear night sky. Her mother, though, had warned her never to look up at a full moon. She was curious to see what one looked like, but since her mother had told her terrible things would happen if she looked at it, she didn't exactly feel like risking it. She had terrible insomnia, though, so on the night of a full moon, she would make sure her very thick drapes were closed. She laid back on her bed, crossing her arms behind her head and trying to sort out her thoughts. That feeling that she'd had on her way home was back, like something was going to happen, not incredibly soon, but it was on its way. She closed her eyes to be greeted by a scene of herself in midair, in a fighting position. Her opponent was hazy, but she could make out a blue suit, and wild hair like black fire. By the look on her own face, this wasn't sparring. Both herself and the opponent, who was definitely a man, were speaking... yelling at each other. She couldn't really make out the words. They began fighting. It was clear that the man she was fighting was stronger... much stronger and faster than she was. She watched herself get thrown into the ground, the force of her impact creating a dent in the earth. As she struggled to right herself, her opponent landed behind her and clasped his hands together above his head, preparing the final blow. Just as he was about to strike, Kori's eyes flashed open...   
  
She knew this was a premonition... She had them from time to time. Sometimes they were vivid, sometimes very hazy like the one she'd just experienced. But they all had the same feeling of being half awake and asleep. It was kind of like a daydream, only you couldn't really pull yourself out of it as easily. She knew this fight was going to happen, but didn't know the outcome. From what happened, though, things weren't looking too good for herself. //Am I seeing my own death,// she contemplated with a shudder. However unsettling, she had to admit that it was a possibility. Well, I guess I shouldn't dwell on it, and in the meantime, I'll figure out some way to give myself the advantage when this fight does happen. //That guy was so much stronger than me... I guess I'd better try and narrow the gap. First thing tomorrow, I'm going to start pushing myself harder,// she resolved. She turned on some soft music and pulled the covers over her, intent on attempting to get some sleep before the next morning's sparring session.   
  
***  
  
Prince Vegeta sat back in his chair and looked out the porthole of his pod, watching space move by. He had just layed in a course for Chikyuu, and would be there in approximately 27 of their days. Only recently had he come to the age of ascension, but he was not yet strong enough to be sure he could easily defeat his father in battle. But oh, how he wanted to. The king had made some grave errors in his recent years, first by allying with the tyrant Frieza, and then by allowing Frieza near complete and total power over the people of Vegeta-sei. Prince Vegeta and his right hand guard, Kakarrott, had been trying over the past few years to find something that would help them and their underground movement against King Vegeta, and they had just recently come upon it. It seemed that Kakarrot's father, Bardock, who had been missing since shortly after Kakarrot's birth, was a genius of a scientist who had been blessed (or cursed?) with clairvoyance. Bardock had fled Vegeta-sei shortly after King Vegeta's alliance with Frieza, claiming disgust with the King's reign. But later, stories had surfaced that he had had visions of Frieza's near enslavement and usurpation of the Saiyan race for his own personal gain. He also saw that the Saiyans would become steadily more powerful, frightening Frieza into destroying their whole planet. No one believed him at the time, but at the present it seemed very possible. The Saiyans were getting stronger with every purging mission Frieza sent them on, and, Vegeta mused, it may not be long before one achieves the legendary level of Super Saiyan. //That one, of course, will be me. And once I have become a Super Saiyan, I will first put an end to my father's incompetence and then to Frieza's tyranny.// But first, he had to find Bardock. Before he left, he had been working on some inventions that could quite possibly win the war with Frieza that was looming inevitably on the horizon. It had been rumored that Bardock had fled to Chikyuu, where technology was much more advanced than on Vegeta-sei, so that he could have peace while working on his inventions.  
  
Vegeta activated the hibernation unit on the pod and dozed slightly. //Just wait, father. Once I find Bardock and convince him to help me, I'll personally take the throne as per my birthright. And my first order of business will be to terminate our alliance with that genderless freak...// He drifted off to a dreamless sleep as his pod rocketed off towards Chikyuu.  
  
***  
  
AN: Well, there's chapter 2 ^_^ Some stuff should be starting to come a little clearer to you now. Next time, Kori goes to her first sparring session with Coach Ohm... and who's that spying in the bushes??? You'll just have to wait to find out.  
  
::Rapo:: Hey, this is starting to get interesting!  
  
Why thank you, I didn't know you were reading ^_^  
  
::Rapo:: Yeah, I loved the part about the chocolate chip cookies ^_^  
  
*pulls out a frying pan and starts advancing on Rapo*  
  
::Rapo:: *nervously* Uhm.. Wh-what are you doing with that? *starts to back away*  
  
Oh, nothing... Nothing at all... *starts chasing after him with the frying pan*  
  
::Rapo:: *starts running for dear life* AAAH!!! Help!!!  
  
COME BACK HERE!!! I'LL GIVE YOU COOKIES!!! 


	3. Learning something new

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ!!! I'm in college... I can't afford anything, so please don't sue me!!! I do own Kori, Coach Ohm, and Melissa, though, so don't you dare use them without my permission!!!  
  
For your convenience, the disclaimer will also be presented in ebonics: You be mad crazy if you think I be ownin' DBZ! I in college, Foo, I ain't got shit! But if you be stealin' my peeps, Kori, Brother Ohm, or Melissa, then I bust a cap in yo' foo' ass, yo!  
  
AN: You guys already read the warnings in ch. 1... If you didn't, go back and read 'em! //Blah blah blah// is internal monologue...  
  
***  
  
Kori glanced around the field, wondering whether Coach Ohm forgot about their sparring session. She'd told her mom that she'd enrolled in intramural softball, and that their first practice was this morning. As bad as she felt about it, it was better than telling her mom that she was leaving early to spar with her gym teacher. "Good Morning!" She whipped around to see the coach behind her, starting on his stretches. Coach Ohm was pretty young for a schoolteacher. Maybe mid- to late-twenties. He was tall and well proportioned, with a defined face and short black hair. "Sorry I'm a little late, I just had to make sure we weren't going to get caught. Before we get started, I'd like to clear up something from yesterday. I'm not usually that hard on people, but you didn't seem like you were paying attention, and like any good teacher, I always pick on students who don't pay attention."   
  
"Yeah, I guess I got a little carried away, too. I don't know what got into me. I usually control myself..."  
  
"It's ok, I understand. You felt challenged. And if you're anything like me, you can't turn down a challenge."  
  
Kori smirked. "Yeah, I don't know why, but I always get a rush at the prospect of a good fight." She started doing some warm-up punches and kicks as the coach stretched out.   
  
Ohm still couldn't believe the speed of her moves. Arms and legs became a blur as they lashed out at an inhuman pace. He wouldn't let it faze him, though, and crouched down into a fighting stance. "Ready?"  
  
She set her stance as a gleam of pure joy lit her eyes. "YEAH!" Even though she'd have to slow her moves considerably to get a good match, she was still excited. "Let's go!" She launched herself at the coach. A flurry of blows ensued, most of them blocked by either opponent. A stray punch managed to penetrate Kori's defense, and she was surprised at the force of the blow as it knocked her back a good 5 yards. //Maybe he's tougher than I thought he was...// She jumped back into the fray, and for the next twenty minutes they went toe-to-toe, blow-for-blow. They had both managed to get a good kick to the ribs in on each other when they both fell back for a moment to catch some air.   
  
"So," the Coach started to pant out, "ready for me to teach you something new?" He grabbed a bottle of water and downed a few gulps before offering it to her. She held up her hand, declining it.  
  
"Yeah, sure." She regarded him quizzically. "So, what, exactly, is it that you can teach me that I don't already know?" She pulled her arm around her front, stretching out a sore shoulder.  
  
The Coach's eyes lit up for a brief second, and he turned to the side of the field that was lined with trees. "This is something that was taught to me by my first martial arts master. It's very difficult, but for some reason, I think you'll pick up on it very quickly. It's a method of controlling your inner energy, or "chi", and using it as you would your fist or foot, to lash out at your opponent without even touching them, but, as you'll see, it's much more powerful than a physical blow."  
  
"WOW! I've heard of that, but I've never seen it done! You can really do that?! Show me how!" Her words almost meshed together in her excitement. She had never expected her coach to know such an advanced method in martial arts. Her respect for the man was bumped up a few notches as she watched him regard the trees.  
  
Coach Ohm crouched into a fighting position and began to concentrate on his energy. Soon, a small glowing ball appeared in his hands, which were positioned at his side. The ball began to grow, and he tensed, shouting out "Kamehameha!" while he thrust his arms forward. The ball turned into a stream of glowing energy as it plowed through the trunk of a tree on the other side of the field. Kori watched it all with stunned amazement and rapt attention. The coach straightened and looked over at Kori with a smug smile.  
  
"That was awesome!" She was beyond being insulted by his smugness. She had to learn how to do this. She crouched, mimicking the coach's former position, and began trying to concentrate her energy. Coach Ohm watched in amusement to see what she would do. Her whole body was tense, she was trying so hard to form the tiny ball of chi between her hands.   
  
"Just relax. Feel that tenseness and energy in your muscles?" She nodded in reply. "Imagine it slipping down into your stomach, and push it out between your hands."  
  
Kori began to calm herself, channeling the energy away from her tense muscles and joints. She could feel everything draining down to her stomach. She imagined the ball of chi being formed, and then felt a slight warmth emanating from between her hands. She grinned in joy at her accomplishment. "Uhhh... what do I do with it now," she asked.  
  
"Remember the word I shouted?" She nodded. "That is half of what gives the attack its power... Not the word that you shout, but just that you're shouting, it helps release the rest of the chi and push the attack out away from you. Now what you should do is brace yourself slightly, cause if you're too relaxed, firing this blast will knock you off your feet." She hardened her stance a little while still remaining focused on the ball of energy she'd formed. "Ok, great. Now, shout out 'Kamehameha' push it away from you, and envision where you want it to go. Controlling a chi blast is done almost completely in the mind."  
  
She tensed, preparing to release the attack on the trees. "Kame... hame... HA!!!" She yelled out and pushed the blast away, the force and stream of light from the attack nearly blinding her for a second. She blinked to rid her eyes of the spots, and then looked up to assess the damage. A small tree was toddling on its trunk, which had been nearly blasted through. After a few seconds, the small bit of the base of its trunk that had been holding it up collapsed, and the tree toppled over. "Gosh... Did I do that?"  
  
Ohm was very impressed with the rate at which this new pupil learned. And he wasn't about to tell her that the attack she'd learned in just minutes had taken him close to six years to master. "That was incredible," he complemented. "You even subconsciously put your own spin on the move! Now you just need to learn to control it. That shouldn't be too hard, though, with practice... You've got excellent control over your chi already."  
  
She smiled genuinely. This was turning out to be a really great day. She just wished she could show her mom without blowing her cover. Then she remembered that this deal was so she and the coach could teach each other new techniques. Quickly, she tried to think of something that she could do that he probably couldn't. Blinking a few times, she came up with a great idea. "Ok, you've showed me something, now it's my turn. Can you do this?" She smirked and floated about a foot off the ground. It was the coach's turn to be stunned.  
  
Sure, he'd heard that some select few were able to levitate by using chi control, but he'd never seen it, nor did he expect her to be able to do it. She did a lazy flip then landed lightly in front of him. "How?" It was all he could manage to get out.  
  
"Uh..." She placed a hand behind her head. "I don't really know... I guess it's a way of channeling your energy, kind of like your chi attack... I've never really had to think about flying, cause I learned how to do it when I was so young."   
  
"Well, block everything else from your mind and try to think about flying. You might discover how it is you do it that way." She nodded, closing her eyes. After a few long seconds, she began to rise slowly into the air. She stayed there a little while, then descended back to the ground. She opened her eyes and looked down.  
  
"Okay," she looked up at him. "I think it's very similar to your chi attack, but instead of pushing your chi out of your body, you just push it to whatever part of your body is holding you up. Like when you fly straight up, channel it to your feet, and when you're flying on your stomach, channel it there, and some to your feet to propel you." She hoped the explanation was good enough.   
  
The coach nodded and tried to relax, just like his advice to her in the beginning stages of the Kamehameha. He slowly pushed his chi down past his stomach. He was so used to channeling it there that it almost seemed uncooperative... If energy could be uncooperative... Finally, he felt it go down to his feet, and, very slowly, he rose from the ground. "Awesome," Kori exclaimed. "I've never watched anyone else fly, so this is really cool to me! Now try floating on your stomach..." The coach tried channeling more chi up to his stomach and leaned forward, trusting it to catch him... Which it almost didn't do. His nose was nearly on the ground, but he'd caught himself.   
  
"Whew..." He tried concentrating more on the chi centered in his stomach. He began to rise until he was about five feet off the ground. He smiled genuinely at his progress, but he was starting to feel a little taxed from having to control his chi so much. He leaned back, and pushed his chi down to his feet again to soften his almost fall back to the ground. When he touched down, he was surprised to note that his legs wouldn't hold him. Kori rushed to hold him up before he could fall into a heap on the ground.  
  
"Oh yeah... I do kinda remember when I was little, I couldn't fly for too long, or I'd get really tired. I think it's something you have to build up endurance for," she stated, placing his arm around her shoulder and walking him over to the bench by the side of the field.   
  
He sat down, fighting off the urge to just lie down there and go to sleep. "Yeah," he agreed, "this is definitely something that needs to be done in steps."  
  
Kori sat down on the back of the bench, placing her feet on the seat. She grinned, feeling happier than she had in a long time. "But we both made great progress today," she stated. "I mean, that chi attack is awesome, and being able to fly can put a whole new spin on sparring." She was so excited to have someone to spar with again. She honestly hadn't gotten a good workout like this since she'd been about twelve years old. Her mother was a great martial artist, but she'd surpassed her around the age of thirteen when her inhuman speed and power began developing itself full force. Since then, she and her mother had hardly sparred at all. Only on occasions where they both needed an outlet, but she couldn't really get much out of it. She was getting stronger and faster every day, and her mother was beginning to age. //But she doesn't have to be stronger or faster than me for me to be scared of her...// She chuckled at the thought.   
  
Meanwhile, Coach Ohm was on the brink of just going to sleep right then and there. Kori looked down at him, then placed a hand on his shoulder. Her mother was prone to terrible headaches, and since she'd been small, she'd had a way of comforting her mother's pain. She thought that maybe it would work if you were worn out, too. She calmed herself, and concentrated on the hand on the coach's shoulder. It was then that she realized what she'd been doing for her mother all this time was actually her giving out some of her chi to help deal with the pain. The coach seemed to wake up and she removed her hand.   
  
"What did you just do? I feel great..."   
  
"Uh, I'm not very sure, but I think I just gave you some of my chi... I do that for my mom whenever she's got a headache, but it's one of those subconscious things. I never really thought about it."   
  
"Wow. You certainly are full of surprises, aren't you?" He chuckled a little and looked at her. He didn't have any siblings, but he figured that this was what having a little sister was like. "Well," he started, "we have about half an hour left, and we could still fit in some more hand-to-hand... That is, if you're up for it, of course."  
  
"Hey, I'm not the one that was almost passing out a minute ago," she chided. She jumped up off the bench and crouched down. "Let's go!"  
  
He smiled at her enthusiasm and resumed his fighting stance. For the next thirty minutes, they went nearly all out on each other, only holding back enough so as to not cause any serious injuries. Sure, they were a little scratched and bruised when it was all over, but the adrenaline rush they both had was enough to not feel any of the pain. As they were walking back towards the school, Ohm clapped her on the back and said, "Thank you. This is probably the most fun I've had in years."  
  
She smiled up at him. //I guess this is what it's like to have a big brother...// "Same here," she agreed wholeheartedly. "I guess I'd better go get cleaned up before classes start. I wouldn't want to show up to Ancient Civilizations like this." She looked down at herself. There was dirt and small abrasions pretty much anywhere there had been skin showing. One sleeve of her shirt was in tatters, and the left knee of her wind pants was shredded to match, along with deeper cuts to go along with the rips in the clothing. She brushed her soaking wet hair from her forehead and looked over at the coach. He was equally disheveled.  
  
"Yeah, me too. I would hate for my first period class to see me like this. What would the football team say if they knew their coach had gotten beat up by a 'little girl'?" He smiled to let her know he was just playing. She mock-slugged him on the arm anyways. "Ok, well, I'll see you in gym. And I'll remember to keep up my end of the bargain."   
  
She looked at him questioningly and then remembered that this had all started from the deal he had made her yesterday. She smiled as she started off towards the school building. "Thanks a lot! And hey, are we going to do this every morning?"   
  
The coach thought seriously about it before replying. "Well, I think we should start off slow and go every other day. Then maybe next week we could up it to every day. I don't want either of us to get too worn out. Sound good?"  
  
"Yeah, actually, I was going to suggest the same thing. Well, I gotta go. I don't want to be late." She ran off to take a shower and dress in the extra set of clothes she'd brought. None of her wounds were serious enough to merit going to the doctor, but she'd have to clean them out and dress them before class. //Wow, that was great... Who knew I would learn so much before school even started today?// Her thoughts trailed off happily as she cleaned up and got ready for class.   
  
***  
  
Melissa had watched the whole thing in a shocked state of near-disbelief. She'd heard Kori and the coach's conversation the day before in gym class, but hadn't let on that she knew what was going on. So she'd come early, out of curiosity, and hid in the bushes close to the school that had a very good view of the practice field. She watched as Kori and Coach Ohm sparred, their blows flew so fast she could barely see. The weirdest thing was how much they both seemed to be enjoying themselves. //How could just fighting make someone so happy?// Then she'd stared on as the coach had made some kind of weird ball and threw it at the trees, blowing one up... Then as Kori mimicked his movements, throwing a blast that knocked over one of the smaller trees. She was very glad she hadn't chosen to hide in those trees... //I probably would've been killed by that blast...//   
  
The next thing she knew, Kori was... floating? She shook her head. Then the coach had, rather shakily, copied her. //They were teaching each other...// After that incident, they seemed to calm down and just talk for a while. She was too far away to hear. She didn't like this spying, and would've left a while ago if it hadn't been for all the bizarre stuff that seemed to be happening. Then, after resting, they got up like nothing weird had ever happened, and started to just spar again. //This is so confusing. I mean, I knew she was really strong. She had to be to pull a move like that one in the gym yesterday. But this is just too much. I wonder why she's hiding it? It's not like I would think she's a freak or anything...// But then she realized that she was kind of a minority. Other people would be afraid of something like that. Not that she wasn't kind of afraid, but it was more awesome--intriguing--than scary. She wanted to do those kinds of things too... //A lot of other people wouldn't understand, though. They'd mark her as a freak. Persecute her.// Melissa did know something about that. Until a few years ago, her purple hair had always marked her as a scapegoat. But with the rise of unnatural hair colors, things like that had become accepted in the school society. //But having super strength and being able to fly and obliterate stuff without touching it isn't exactly as easy to accept as purple hair... I guess it is better for her if she keeps it a secret. I don't think I should pressure her into telling me, but I really want to see if I can do those things, too. And the only way to do that is to ask her to show me... Which would let her know that I spied on her... DAMMIT, why do things have to be so complicated?!// Melissa ceased her internal struggle and decided to just wait a while, and see if Kori would let her in on her secret in her own time. //There's no reason to abolish this... Kori seems like such a great person, and I'd rather have her as a friend than have her angry at me.// She grabbed her backpack and stretched out as she walked to the school building. Looking at the clock, she realized that there was still some time to go get some breakfast, and no matter how bad the food was, she was hungry enough to eat it... She shoved her hands in her pockets and trudged to the cafeteria.   
  
***  
  
  
In Ancient Civilizations, Kori had a tough time concealing how good of a mood she was in. For some reason, her new friend, Melissa, seemed kind of down. //She was so bubbly yesterday... I don't get it. I wonder if something bad happened to her... Kori took advantage of the five-minute lull at the end of class before the bell rang. "Hey, Melissa, are you ok? What's the matter?"  
  
"Huh," Melissa asked as she was pulled out of her silent contemplation. She had been doodling idly on her notebook while in a deep debate with herself over whether to tell Kori she'd seen the sparring session between her and Coach Ohm. "Oh. Everything's ok, I guess. I'm just not feeling like myself today." Melissa rested her chin on her hand and looked over at Kori. "So how about you? You seem pretty chipper. Anything unusually good happen?" Melissa nudged her elbow and gave an overly exaggerated wink.  
  
Kori chuckled a little. "Well... You've gotta promise not to tell anyone about this, ok?" She couldn't keep it to herself, and since Melissa seemed pretty trustworthy, she figured it'd be ok to tell her.  
  
//I guess I won't have to feel so bad about spying...// "Yeah, sure, I promise. What happened? Some guy ask you out?"   
  
//As if...// "Yeah, right." Kori gave her the most incredulous look she could muster. "Well, remember what happened in gym yesterday?"  
  
Melissa smiled. "You mean, do I remember you throwing the coach on his ass? Yeah, I remember."  
  
"The coach asked me to be his sparring partner. We had a session this morning, and it was really great. We're teaching each other some of our moves." Kori decided to leave it at that. //Yeah, all I need to do is freak her out... It's really cool, Melissa: the coach is teaching me how to blow stuff up with chi and I'm teaching him how to fly. It's a blast...//   
  
"Wow, you're really into this martial arts stuff, aren't you?"   
  
Kori nodded solemnly. "Yeah, my mom started teaching me when I was little. She was pretty serious about it. For the past few years, though, I've pretty much been teaching myself. It helps me feel at peace, you know?"  
  
"Yeah, I feel the same way about electronics. My dad started me out on it when I was about 5. I asked for my own radio, and he gave me a 'Build Your Own Radio' kit. Ever since then, I've been fascinated with electronics, and I'm never more peaceful than when I'm tinkering." Melissa was glad to find a way to relate. "Umm... Do you think maybe you could teach me martial arts? I know we're learning some basics in gym class, but I want to know more."  
  
Kori considered it for a few seconds. "Well... Ok, but only if you promise to help me with my Physics homework. I watched you solving problems yesterday, so I know you're good. That's the only subject that's really gonna give me problems." Kori smiled a little. "So, do we have a deal?" Kori offered her pinky.  
  
Melissa grinned and linked pinkies with her. "Deal," she said as the bell rang. As they were collecting their things to move on to the next class, she added, "Besides, I watched you in Physics yesterday, too. You're going to need more help than you know." She chuckled a little.  
  
"That hurts... That really hurts," Kori smiled. They proceeded out the door to their next class.  
  
***  
  
AN: Well, I hope you liked it ^_^ Next time, a slumber party? And Melissa finds out something about Kori... BTW... Go read Lynz's fic, Kure-Ji-Ikku: A Peak Inside!!! It's really cool!!!   
  
::Rapo:: Plugging Lynz's fic, eh?  
  
Yeah, so?  
  
::Rapo:: Nothing, just trying to start a conversation.  
  
Shut up, you're just hungry and want me to feed you...  
  
::Rapo:: Am I THAT transparent???  
  
*sigh* What am I going to do with you?  
  
::Rapo:: ^_^ 


	4. Sleepovers, tails, and sparring with wal...

Disclaimer: *bangs head against wall* (did you know you can burn up to 150 calories per hour banging your head against a wall?) I DON'T OWN DBZ, ALREADY!!! But Kori, Kori's Mom, Coach Ohm, Melissa, and Mark are mine, so you can't use them unless I say so!  
  
AN: If you haven't read the warnings in ch. 1, go back and read them, I don't feel like repeating myself! //blah blah blah// is still internal monologue.   
  
As the days went by, things began to settle into a routine. In the morning, spar with Coach Ohm, or "Gary" as he so often told her to call him. Next, go to classes and talk with Melissa every spare chance she had. Then, after classes, Kori would give Melissa a martial arts lesson. Melissa was shocked at how much she didn't know about basic self-defense. It was around the 3rd week of their lessons that Kori realized how advanced she was compared to the average person. Things it seemed like she'd known forever, things that were simple, easy moves, had to be dissected to their lowest level when teaching someone with no prior knowledge of martial arts.  
  
It was a Friday, and they were just getting out of their last class when Melissa turned to Kori and said, "Hey, my parents are out of town this weekend, and I was wondering if you'd like to come and spend the weekend with me, you know, have a sleepover and eat a lot of junk food and watch some sappy movies? What do you say?"  
  
Kori looked ecstatic as soon as Melissa had said the word "sleepover". She'd never had a real childhood friend, besides her cousins, whom she only got to see around 3 times a year. She'd only heard about sleepovers from her cousins. But from what they'd told her, it sounded like a whole lot of fun. Her face darkened, however, when she realized that she had no idea of what her mom would say. "Jeez, I really wanna come, but I don't know if my mom'll let me. I've um... Never been to a sleepover before..."  
  
"No way!!!" Melissa looked utterly shocked. //But then again, she's so shy, and she's been home schooled her whole life up until now, so I guess it's possible...// Melissa thought for a second. "Well, here's my cell phone," she reached into her bag and pulled out a tiny phone, handing it to Kori. "Call your mom and see if it's ok, if it is, come on with me, cause we have clothes that'll fit you. If not, then I guess we'll have to do it another time."  
  
Kori dialed the number and hit the call button. Melissa mouthed 'good luck' as she put the phone to her ear. After about 3 rings, she heard her mother's voice at the other end of the line. "Hello?"  
  
"Hi mom, it's Kori. Uh, mom, have you started dinner yet?"  
  
"Not yet, hun, why?"  
  
"Well, Melissa asked me to sleep over, and I was kinda hoping that I could... She says she's got clothes that'll fit me, so I won't have to come home and come all the way back here. PLEASE?!"  
  
"Well, I guess there's no harm in it. As long as you do at least half of your homework while you're over there. And if you don't, you can rest assured that it will be the ONLY sleepover you ever go to."  
  
"Mom, you are the best mom in the whole world. Have I ever told you that?"  
  
"Yes, but it doesn't hurt to hear it every now and then. Now go on, and have fun. Don't stay up too late, ok?"  
  
"Ok, mom! I love you! Bye!"  
  
"Bye," she heard distantly as she pulled the phone from her ear to shut it off. She looked over at Melissa and grinned. "Mom said I can go!!!"  
  
Melissa high-fived her friend and grinned right back. "Great, well, lets get going. My car's out in the parking lot." They walked happily out to the parking lot, where Melissa brought her keys out and stopped next to the drivers side of a very nice, and obviously very expensive, black Audi TT convertible.  
  
"This is your car? Wow..." //Gosh, her family must have a lot of money.//  
  
"Yeah, hop in! My parents got it for me when I got into school here, cause I aced all my entrance exams and I'm a year younger than all the other students... Except you, though, cause you're in here early, too!" Melissa placed her backpack in the back seat, sat down comfortably into the driver's seat, and turned the car on. Kori followed suit, setting down her own backpack and settling into her seat. Then she promptly held on for dear life as Melissa gunned the engine and sent the car speeding out of the parking lot, alarming many innocent bystanders.  
  
***  
  
Melissa pulled her car into the garage of her house... Well, you couldn't really call it a house, because it was just too damn big. Kori got out of the car, walked out of the garage and just gawked at the sheer size of it. //It must be as big or bigger than the school!!!// Scratching the back of her head, she turned to Melissa and said, "Jeez, I didn't know your family was THIS well off... I mean, I figured you had a lot of money, but..." She trailed off, not knowing what exactly to say.   
"Well, my family does own Griffey Incorporated... You knew my last name, guess you just never bothered to put two and two together, huh?" Melissa smiled at her friend's unease. //This is great, though, cause I know a lot of people who have tried to be my friend just for the money, and with Kori, I know that's not the case.//  
  
"Yeah, but you don't act like you have a lot of money. I would've never guessed just by talking to you." Kori smiled back. "Gosh... Griffey Incorporated. Isn't that the company that makes all that technological stuff for everyday living? Like the robots to clean your house for you, or cook your food?"  
  
"Yup, that's it. But my dad and I also work on other stuff, too. Some of it's really confidential, but I can tell you we work a lot with NASA."   
"Wow." Kori was a little overwhelmed by all this new information, but she decided just to take it in stride and move on. "That's really cool."   
"Yup." Melissa grinned. "Well, lets get inside, and we can start on our homework so that your mom doesn't get mad at you." Melissa picked up her bag and headed for the door. Kori nodded in assent and followed her into the house.  
  
Three homework assignments, a dinner, 2 movies, and 2 pints of chocolate ice cream later, they finally settled down to go to bed. Since they wanted to talk a little before turning in, they moved into one of the guest rooms with 2 twin beds. Melissa had given Kori a tank top and some shorts to wear to bed. "So, what do you want to do tomorrow," Melissa asked.  
  
"I dunno, whatever you want to do, I guess," she replied. Kori stretched her arms above her head, yawning, and at the same time, unknowingly raising the tank top. In that instant, Melissa caught a glance of a strange, furry looking belt around Kori's waist.   
  
"Dude, what's that thing," she inquired, pointing towards Kori's waistband.  
  
Kori went sheet white when she saw where Melissa's finger was pointing. "Wha... What's w-what?" She tried to feign innocence.  
  
"That belt! Why are you wearing a belt when it's not holding anything up?" She looked to Kori, whose expression was one of a child that'd been caught doing something it had been told not to do.   
  
//Okay, weigh your options... Do you: A- take the chance and tell the truth? She'd either freak out or accept it... or B- make up some insane lie about it being a belt that I have to wear or something like that... No, I suck at lying... Ok, then, I guess I'll have to tell her the truth.// Kori took a deep, calming breath, and assumed an expression of utter seriousness. She unwound her tail from her waist and stretched it out behind her, then waved it in front of Melissa. "It's... My tail..." She kept a watchful eye on Melissa, wondering if she would faint or anything.  
  
Melissa's mouth hung open as she watched Kori's tail sway back and forth in front of her. For a moment, she wondered if she'd fallen asleep, and if this was just some weird dream. But she didn't feel like she was dreaming. She pulled out of her haze for a second and reached out to touch the furry appendage, but it smacked her hand away. "Don't touch it," Kori warned. "It hurts really bad if you yank it, and it's really ticklish otherwise." Kori didn't mention the other strange feelings that occurred when her tail was touched. If she couldn't understand them herself, what was the point in trying to explain them to someone else.  
  
Melissa looked like there were about a million questions she wanted to ask, but she just couldn't get any words to come out of her mouth. "D-do you know, umm, how you got it? I mean, is it some kind of weird genetic defect or did you get experimented on or what?"  
  
//Well, at least she's not freaking out or fainting,// Kori thought. "No. This is natural. My mom doesn't have one, but she told me my dad did. I guess that's how I got it." She was glad to get that out into the open. Now if it was just her and Melissa, she could just unwind and not have to worry about it cramping up. She let her tail flick out lazily behind her and flopped down on her stomach on the bed. She looked over to Melissa to see that she was still blinking repetitiously, trying to assimilate all the information. "You're not too freaked out by it, are you?"   
  
Melissa let out a breath and fell back onto her bed. "Truthfully, I am a little more than freaked out, but it's not going to keep me from being your friend." She paused for a while, wondering just what to say. "I guess everyone has things that make them unique, you just have a lot more than most people."  
  
Kori laughed and said, "Yeah, but I'd rather be overly unique than normal. Normal is just so..." She couldn't find the right word to complete her thought.  
  
"Boring." Melissa finished her sentence for her and shot her a knowing grin.  
  
"Yeah. Boring. And to tell you the truth, I think people without tails are missing out on something. It's very useful." Kori returned Melissa's grin and yawned. "I'm kinda sleepy."  
  
"Yeah, me too. Let's go to sleep, we'll have plenty of time to talk tomorrow." Melissa got under the covers and turned over on her side. "Goodnight."  
  
"G'night." Kori was a little warm, so she just stayed on top of the covers. She shut her eyes and saw a very clear scene of herself talking to a man. He looked so familiar somehow, yet she knew she'd never seen him before in her life. His jet-black hair stuck out at odd angles from his head in huge spikes, and he was nearly a foot taller than her. He was very strongly built and dressed in some kind of odd armor. He was actually rather handsome. She couldn't hear what they were talking about, but it seemed as if it was a very friendly conversation. In the background, leaning against a tree was a very blurry, but damned familiar silhouette. It was that guy from her vision about three weeks ago. The hair -- that was what gave it away. He turned, but he was still distorted. She found herself wanting, no, needing to see his face. The tall man she was talking to in the scene turned and looked back at the flame-haired man, saying something to him. The flame-haired man started moving closer, his face becoming less and less distorted. A few more steps and she would be able to make out the details of his features. Just a few more. "Kori!" It was very distant. "KORI!!!" Something shouted at her, yanking her out of the dream/vision.  
  
"Huh? Wha... What is it," she asked groggily.  
  
"Hey, I was starting to get worried. You sleep like a log! My big brother just showed up, kind of unexpectedly, and he wants us to hang with him today. So hurry and get dressed, and I suggest you hide that," she pointed to Kori's tail, "before coming downstairs. I laid some clothes out in the bathroom next door. See ya in a few, breakfast will be ready when you get downstairs."  
  
Kori rubbed her eyes with the backs of her hands sleepily and yawned. "Ok… Oh, don't forget to make a LOT of breakfast. I'm really hungry." Almost on cue, her stomach let out a huge rumble. "See?"  
  
Melissa laughed, then paled slightly. "Oh jeez... How are you going to explain that to my brother? I don't think he's ever met someone that eats as much as you..."  
  
Kori scratched thoughtfully at the back of her head. "Um... Well, do you think how I explained it to you would work for him? Or doesn't he go with the flow as easily as you do?"  
  
"You know, I'm probably just not having enough faith in him. I bet he'll take it just fine. Hurry up, then. Anything in particular you'd like for breakfast?"  
  
Kori grinned impishly, "The question is: Is there anything I wouldn't like for breakfast?" She chuckled a little and Melissa threw up her hands and sighed in mock-frustration. "I'll be down in a few." Melissa laughed and walked out the door.  
  
***  
  
Kori came down the stairs, eyes half-lidded and nose to the air. //Breakfast smells almost as good as mom's...// Her nose led her right into the kitchen, where she bumped into a wall that she hadn't remembered being there last night. She blinked up at the wall's face. //Wait a second, walls don't have faces...// "You must be Kori," said a somewhat tall, incredibly good-looking man. "I've heard an awful lot about you from 'Lissa here." She felt her face flush what must have been bright red. He offered his hand to her.  
  
Taking it in a firm shake, she tried to recover, "H-hi… You're M-Melissa's brother?" She silently cursed Melissa for failing to say his name earlier.   
  
"Call me Mark." Mark was about six feet tall, with hair the color of Melissa's that came down to his ears in the front and his neck in the back. His eyes were steel blue and his face was gorgeous. "'Lissa, did you forget to tell her my name," he asked.  
  
Melissa was having a tough time controlling her reaction to the way Mark had affected Kori. "Must have slipped my mind," she put her hand to her mouth, masking her silent laughter.  
  
"She's terrible, isn't she?" All Kori could do was nod dumbly. "Let's eat, I'm starving!" He sat at the small breakfast table in the kitchen and gestured for the two girls to join him. Melissa sat down, still laughing madly under her breath. Kori finally remembered the reason she had come downstairs, and was in her seat almost as fast as lightening. Soon, serving droids were placing mass quantities of breakfast foods in the middle of the table. "'Lissa, why did you have them make so much? There're only three of us."  
  
Kori chuckled a little. "No, there are two of you, and one of me." She smiled the smile of someone who knows something someone else doesn't. Mark merely looked at her quizzically and began to serve himself. Melissa and Kori followed suit. When Kori began to eat, however, Mark quickly took notice of three things. One was how fast she ate, two was how much she ate, and three was how none of it seemed to end up anywhere but in her mouth. After a couple of minutes, she slowed down and noticed that he'd only taken a few bites of what he'd served himself. Instead of eating, he was gawking, slack-jawed, at her. "I bet you're wondering why I eat so much. I don't really know why, but if I don't eat like this, I get kinda weak and sickly." Feeling as if she'd dealt with the matter, Kori resumed eating.  
  
Mark closed his mouth and thought for a few seconds. "I was also wondering how you can eat like that and still look as good as you look."  
  
It took a split-second for that to register. But when it did, Kori nearly choked on her mouthful of breakfast burritos. Her face went even redder than it was before, whether from the complement or from lack of oxygen. She swallowed hard, and looked down at her plate embarrassedly. "I, uh... I don't know. M-maybe I j-just have a really fast metabolism... Or something." //Dammit, why do I have to sound like such an idiot?!//  
  
"It's probably because you work out so much," supplied Melissa, who'd finally managed to get over her laughing fit. "Yeah, you need fuel if you exercise as much as Kori does." Melissa smiled over at Kori.  
  
"Oh, so you're into physical fitness? That's cool. I've been taking martial arts classes at college." Mark puffed out his chest, looking incredibly proud of himself. "I'm already a blue belt after only a year. It was a pretty tough test. We had to break two boards with a single strike."   
  
//Oh, how incredibly hard,// thought Kori, while putting on an amused smile. //I wonder how he'd feel if he knew I could break a whole damn tree in half...// She almost laughed at her own joke as she exchanged a knowing glance with Melissa. //He may be really hot, but he's trying waaay to hard to impress me.// Mark was now mimicking the move he had to do to break the board. Both Kori and Melissa were trying their best to look impressed.  
  
"Kori's really into martial-arts, too," Melissa said. Kori shot her a pleading look.   
  
"Oh, really," Mark turned to her. "What belt are you?"  
  
Kori stifled a laugh. "That doesn't really matter. I don't take classes, I've studied independently for a while," she ad-libbed. "So I don't get belts. It's not important." Kori silently prayed he wouldn't ask to demonstrate any moves or spar or anything.   
  
But today, her prayers would go unanswered. "Why don't we spar," he asked. "It'll be fun! I'll go easy on you, I promise." At that, Kori and Melissa both laughed simultaneously. "What? What's so funny?"  
  
Melissa spoke through her laughing, "N-nothing, Mark. I just don't think you two should spar, I mean, she's-"  
  
"I know, she's a girl," he cut her off. "It's ok, I mean, if you don't want to, Kori, it's fine with me." He looked at her the way Coach Ohm had looked at her that first day of school, and she felt something well up inside her.  
  
"No, let's spar," she almost shouted. "And don't you dare go easy on me!" She found herself smiling with pure mischievousness. She felt as if she needed to put him in his place.  
  
"Okay, then. Let's go to the gym. Unless you're not done eating," he joked. She shot him a dirty look, but then looked down at her plate. She was still kind of hungry.  
  
Grabbing a burrito in each hand, she smiled gamely and said, "Where's the gym?"  
  
***  
  
"Why did he have to get changed for this," Kori asked in frustration. "It would've been over by now. You know that."  
  
"Yeah, I do know that. I confess, I really wanted you to spar my brother, you know, to make him shut up about the martial arts thing. Speaking of which, do you want to teach me a little while we're waiting for him to get ready?" Melissa looked very eager.  
  
"Sure, why not? I guess it's better than just standing here." They started going over the basic blocks, punches, and kicks Kori had taught her, and Kori decided it was time to show Melissa a basic throw. Melissa was a very fast learner, and after a few tries to get her footing right, Kori allowed Melissa to flip her over onto the mat. It was at this time that Mark decided to show up, dressed in his gi with his belt tied securely round his waist.  
  
"Hey, that was really good!" He clapped for his sister. "Wait till you see some of the stuff I've been learning." He placed himself about 3 feet from Kori, who was now on her feet, and bowed politely, then dropped into a pretty flawed stance. Kori bowed back, and instead of dropping into fighting stance, just stood there, hands at her sides, with a huge smirk on her face. "Aren't you going to take a stance?"  
  
"No, just come at me." She almost let herself cross her arms, but decided against it.  
  
"Uh, ok... But don't blame me if I hit you." He charged, telegraphing his punch absurdly, and Kori sidestepped, letting him plow past her and stumble to regain his footing. He looked a little angry, but still very determined. This time he took a more careful approach, stepping in little by little. When she didn't make any move to dodge, he tried a right jab. It connected with her open palm, which hadn't been there when he started the punch.  
  
"You'll have to do better than that. I can see those punches coming a mile away," she chided. "Tell you what. I'll make this a little more fair, and only use my left hand. How's that sound?" She was smirking now, making it obvious she knew she had him beat.  
  
"One handed?! You really think you're that good?!" He was getting angry now, his once lighthearted expression had faded completely. "You're asking for it! I was going easy, but now it's personal!"  
  
Kori made a show of putting her right hand behind her back. He charged wildly, and this time, she just held out her left fist. Before he could realize what he was doing, he ran into it, causing himself to get punched in the stomach. Mark groaned and stepped back, trying to regain his composure. "That... Was cheap," he managed to get out.  
  
"I know, but you won't make that mistake again, will you?" Kori decided it was time to end this little skirmish, and lazily grabbed Mark under the arms, shifting her feet to throw him off-balance. He landed on the mat with a dull thud, and then she braced his arm over her knee, pushing down on it until she felt the elbow tighten slightly. He cried out for a second, then somehow found the strength to grab the back of her neck and pull her down. Then he did the most unexpected thing. He kissed her.  
  
Kori's mind went completely blank. She felt so warm, and weak, too. Her hand loosened its grip on his arm of its own accord. Then in a rush, her mind came back. What a cheap tactic!!! She grabbed his shoulder, pulling the tendon up, this time not really caring if she hurt him or not. He broke the kiss, and screamed. "OKAY, OKAY, STOP!!!"  
  
She stood up immediately and wiped her mouth. "That was dirty. Is that the only reason you wanted to spar with me?" She looked down at him with contempt.  
  
"No," he yelled, rubbing his shoulder. "I was just trying to distract you so I could pin you or something. It didn't work..." He tried to move his arm, but his shoulder hurt too much. "Why did you squeeze so hard? I think my shoulder's broken!"  
  
"It's not broken," she said angrily. "Just a little bit of a pulled tendon. Ice it and make sure to keep your arm moving a lot. It'll be fine in a few days." She was not only angry at him for that... whatever it was... But also at herself, for not controlling her strength. "Melissa, I think I should go home now."  
  
Melissa, who had been staring in horror since her brother had kissed Kori, snapped out of it and said, "You don't have to leave! If anyone should go it should be my disgusting big brother!" He gave her a dirty look, and she gave one right back.  
  
"No. I should go. I have to sort some things out. I'll see you at school on Monday, and I'll bring your clothes back then, ok?" Kori's face was unreadable.  
  
"S-sure. I'll see you then. Call me if you have any trouble with the rest of your homework, ok?"  
  
"Ok." After collecting her things, she walked quickly outside and began jogging to the edge of the city. That kiss... It had felt as if the energy was being drained from her, for just a moment. //Was it some kind of mind trick, or do all kisses do that?// She would have to ask Melissa later. She blasted off as she reached the edge of the city, stretching her tail out. It dawned on her then just how inexperienced she was in matters of the heart. She sighed, trying to let her frustration drain away from her. She felt bad for hurting Mark, but felt she shouldn't apologize, because she was somewhat justified. //I should've never agreed to spar with him. Why do I always feel like I need to fight? Maybe I should ask mom. She's always got good advice.// She flew faster, somehow thinking about nothing in particular and everything at once, and soon enough she touched down in front of her door. It took a moment, once inside, for Donny to find her and greet her in his usual canine manner (an attempt to knock her down and a few generous licks to the face.) Glancing up at the clock, she realized that her mom wouldn't be home for about another hour. Talking to her dog as if consulting with him, she said, "I should probably get the rest of my homework done, shouldn't I? That way mom'll be more likely to talk to me when she gets home." As if agreeing with her, Donny licked her face once, then laid down by her feet. When her mother walked in, she was on her second to last problem in her physics homework.   
  
"Oh, hi, hun! Did you have a nice sleepover?" Her mother smiled at her, and somehow she found herself smiling right back, forgetting how conflicted and weird she had felt just an hour and a half ago.   
  
"Yeah. Yeah, I did. It was great." Kori didn't know why, but she didn't want to burden her mother with her worries. //She's happier when I'm happy.// "We watched some movies and got a lot of our homework done. I'm almost all the way done with it now. Just 2 more problems to go. That means tomorrow morning I could help you with the bakery, if you want."  
  
Her mother just laughed. "I'd love to have you help. Even though I know the only reason you help is that you get paid in cookies, I still love having you there. I kind of missed you last night. You probably didn't miss me, though."  
  
Kori looked down. "I guess I was just too busy to miss you. I'm sorry. But you're wrong about the bakery, I like to help you. I'd do it even if you didn't pay me in cookies." She smiled at her mom, hoping that would cheer her up.  
  
Sure enough, her mother was laughing and smiling. "I remember my first sleepover. My mother actually cried. I was a lot younger than you, though, I was probably about nine years old. And like you, I was way too busy having fun with my friend to miss my mom. I understand." She smiled knowingly. "I'll go start on dinner. Do you think you could take the clothes off the clothesline when you finish your homework?"   
  
"Sure mom." She turned back to her homework. //I can deal with this stuff on my own. I don't need to bother her.// She kept telling herself that until she believed it.  
  
***  
  
AN: Well, there's ch 4... even though nobody reviewed ch 3, I'm still posting this fic, dammit, cause I already wrote a whole lot of it, and I'm not letting it go to waste!!! *growls*  
  
::Rapo:: Hey there ^_^  
  
Get lost, buster, I'm in no mood to feed you!  
  
::Rapo:: *blinks* Who said anything about food?  
  
*glares*  
  
::Rapo:: *picks her up and carries her towards the closet* I know a way to calm you down *winks*  
  
*blinks, then grins and whispers something in his ear*  
  
::Rapo:: *grins hugely then runs into the closet, hanging a "Do Not Disturb" sign on the doorknob, then slams the door* 


	5. The Flame-haired man arrives (FINALLY!)

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ, but Kori, her mom, Melissa, Coach Ohm, and Mark are all mine... So don't you dare use them without my permission.  
  
For your convenience, this disclaimer will also be presented in Yoda-speak: Own DBZ I do not. But mine are Kori, her mother, Melissa, and Coach Ohm. Use them without my permission you must not, for that is the dark side...  
  
AN: Sorry I haven't updated in a while... been so freaking busy... But I only have a little over one week of classes left, then WOOHOO for SUMMER!!! *ahem* anyways... //Blah, blah, blah// still stands for internal monologue. Hope you like the chappy ^_^  
  
***  
  
Vegeta's eyes snapped open as the pod's computer interrupted his state of suspended animation. The tinny sounding female voice of the unit alerted him, "Five minutes to planetfall on Earth." He checked his harness to make sure it was secure. He wasn't going to lie to himself-landing without a harness was not fun at all. Over the next few minutes, he looked out the portal of the pod, watching the tiny planet grow larger and larger until it encompassed the whole window, then as the ground grew closer and closer. "Thirty seconds to planetfall: please brace for impact," droned the computer. //Yeah, I know the drill,// he thought. Though it jarred him a little, it was a relatively soft landing. After detaching his harness, he exited the pod and stretched himself out, still a little groggy from the long days of suspended animation.   
  
He looked out at the scenery of the area. He had to admit, it was rather aesthetically pleasing. Hills of bright green flora rolled out as far as he could see, and to his right was a forest of darker green foliage. He could hear the rush of a river off in the distance, and small winged creatures chirped merrily from the branches of the forest. //Ok, this is a little TOO pristine. I'll probably end up destroying something just for the sake of livening things up a little.// He chuckled a little as he walked back to his pod. Grabbing his scouter and some dry rations, he shut the pod, keying in the security code to lock it. Reaching behind his ear, he switched on his language translator. It had been programmed with He hooked the scouter over his right ear and eye and began munching on a nutrient bar as he checked for powerful life forms. From what he'd studied of this planet, the inhabitants looked very much like discolored Saiyans with no tails, but were comparatively weak in power. As he scanned the distance, he spoke to himself, "This planet is full of weaklings! It's a wonder no one's conquered it yet..." He kept scanning. Vegeta would be very disappointed, to say the least, if he came all this way to find that Bardock was not there. //Let's see. A 200 that way. Impressive, compared to the rest of the population, but still not high enough for even a low-level Saiyan.// His scouter beeped at him. 927, that's more like it! I'd heard Bardock was pretty powerful, though... He could be suppressing his power... I'll never know until I find out for myself.// With that, he pushed the rest of the nutrient bar into his mouth and blasted off in the direction of the larger power level.   
  
Kori waved goodbye to her friend Melissa as she started her jog out of town. Once she was far enough into the countryside, she took off, enjoying her routine flight home. She was wearing her shirt tucked in, so she decided to not worry about letting her tail out until she got home. This past week, she and Coach Ohm had been working on a new technique that allowed you to raise your chi while fighting. They'd had a particularly rough session on Wednesday and she found that the technique had gotten easier the next day. It seemed that whenever she got hurt, after healing her strength and speed would increase, depending on how bad the injury had been. She was also getting better at controlling her "chi blasts", as she had labeled them. She could change the intensity of the beam or the direction, or even fire small blasts rather than a beam. All in all, she was very pleased with her progress. And the Coach was learning right along with her. He had finally gotten the hang of flying, and since then, their sparring had gotten a lot more interesting. She flew along, thinking about how much progress she and the Coach had made since that first day. All of a sudden, she felt that familiar presence. She'd been feeling that it was coming closer and closer every day, but now it was finally here. She didn't know whether to be happy or scared of what was going to happen. She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't notice the figure to her left and slightly ahead of her that was matching her pace until she actually looked in that direction. What she saw then almost made her fall out of the air.  
  
It was him-the flame-haired man, as she'd taken to thinking of him. She stopped abruptly, as did he, as though he anticipated the move. He flew closer to her, and she finally saw his face. He was the most gorgeous person she had ever seen. His face was chiseled, yet not hard-lined. His black hair was upswept and a few bangs fell forward on his forehead, but behind them was a rather pronounced widow's peak. His eyes were onyx, a reflection of her own. His royal blue spandex suit under the odd suit of armor she remembered from her other vision accented his perfectly sculpted muscles. Her breath caught in her throat, and a feeling she didn't recognize burned her insides. Her stomach did a somersault, causing her to shudder and feel weak at the knees. //It's a good thing I'm not standing, cause I think I'd probably have fallen down.// He hung there in the sky with his arms crossed, smirking at her. //We're going to get in a fight... He wants to kill me!// That feeling she'd had went away as her face hardened into a scowl.  
  
"So, girl," he said mockingly. "You are the most powerful being this planet has to offer? I'm sorry if I seem unimpressed." Something in his voice told her he wasn't particularly sorry... "You wouldn't happen to know someone by the name of Bardock, would you?" He raised his eyebrow questioningly. Something tugged at the back of his mind. This girl looked so familiar somehow...  
  
"No. Sorry," somehow it came out more curt than she'd meant it to. "I've never heard that name in my life."  
  
"Too bad. I was hoping my trip to this planet wouldn't have been a total waste of my time. I guess I could still have some fun while I'm here, though." He chuckled and smirked almost menacingly. Before she could puzzle out what he meant, he flew straight at her, faster than anything she was used to. It was the best she could do to duck and block, but it didn't help much. A punch landed on her ribs, probably cracking one or two.   
//I couldn't even see it! He's too fast!// She tried to land a punch or a kick, but he blocked or dodged them as if it were child's play. He got in a couple more hits, leaving her bleeding and panting for air.  
  
"You've got spirit! It's been a while since someone has tried this hard against me. It's just too bad you're not strong enough to give me a good fight," he sounded almost sincere on that sentence.   
  
Kori decided this was the time to use her new technique. She concentrated on raising her chi. Combining it with the Kamehameha might stun him enough to let her get away or hide... or something. She pulled her hands back and started charging up for the blast. "Ka... Me... Ha..."  
  
"What's this," he asked, sounding amused. His scouter beeped at him. "1400! I must have really gotten you angry!" He laughed openly now. He just stayed there with his arms crossed.  
  
"Me..." //Let's see you laugh after this, asshole!// "HAAA!!!" She released the blast at him, channeling as much energy into it as possible. He hadn't anticipated a blast coming from her, so it hit him before he had time to dodge or put up his guard. //YEAH! I HIT HIM!!!// As the spots in her eyes cleared out, though, she saw what she thought was impossible. He was still there, though his armor was cracked a little across the chest, and parts of his suit were ripped. //He... He didn't even need to block it... He's barely got a scratch, and that was my most powerful attack...// She paled //I'm done for...//  
  
He smirked at her and laughed a laugh that chilled her to the core. "That was quite surprising! You really caught me off-guard. Even chipped my armor, and believe me, that's no easy feat." His expression turned to one of anger. "But I'm afraid it's time to end this." He was upon her faster than she'd ever thought anyone would be able to move. And suddenly she was hurtling towards the ground. The impact formed a miniature crater in the earth around her, jarring her to the teeth, and she struggled just to get to her hands and knees. She knew what was coming next. He landed next to her and formed his fists together like a club. "Such a pity," he mocked, "I never even knew your name," he chuckled. Then she realized how to get out of it. Her shirt had come untucked, and her tail was free. She reached back with it, grabbing his ankle and pulling his feet out from under him. Then she leaped onto him with strength she didn't know she possessed, pinning his shoulders with her knees and pushing her thumbs hard into his windpipe. He was obviously an expert at dealing with pain, for there was no yell or even noise of discomfort. But his eyes squinted and his face flushed out with the lack of oxygen.  
  
Kori's tail flicked out triumphantly behind her, and she saw his eyes widen. He was trying to say something, but couldn't get it out, due to the fact that she was choking him. "WHAT," she roared at him. "Are you trying to cut me down once more before I knock you the hell out?!" He kept struggling to speak. He mouthed something but she couldn't make it out. His face was purplish now. She looked down into his eyes. Something in them was actually genuine, not cold and mocking as she had seen before. His eyes pleaded with her, stirred something deep within her, and she felt her grip on his throat loosen slightly. //I... I can't do this...// She let go.  
  
And he threw her off, rubbing at his throat. He looked extremely pissed off, and she wondered for a moment if she'd made the right decision. Then he looked down at her and pointed behind her. "Tail," he rasped out. "You've got a tail. The inhabitants of this planet aren't supposed to have them." //Not to mention you held me down when I'm more than ten times your strength... I wish I could've gotten a scouter reading on her while she was trying to choke me...//  
  
She seemed fairly peeved at that. "Yeah? So I'm a freak, so what? Is that all you wanted to tell me?" She'd never really spoken to anyone the way she was speaking to this man, but for some reason, she felt emboldened enough to put herself out on the line.   
  
He didn't speak, but the belt on his armor slowly unfurled of its own accord and started waving in front of her face. "You have a tail. Which means you're not human. At least not all the way. Your hair is a human color. Your parents, do they have tails?"  
  
She was so stunned at his tail. She wasn't alone anymore, she wasn't a freak. To him, she was normal. It took her a few seconds to regain enough composure to answer his question. "M-my mother… She doesn't. She's human. I... I don't know who my father is. My mother's never even told me his name. But she told me... She told me he had a tail. That's why I have one." She wasn't normally one to confide her secrets in people she didn't know. But for some strange reason, she trusted him with it. She got to her feet and looked him square in the face. "Who are you?"  
  
What came out of his mouth was the last thing she expected. "Prince Vegeta. Your Prince. At least, half your Prince. I'd be willing to bet my title that your father was a Saiyan from the planet Vegeta, and further that his name was most likely Bardock. What happened to him, I do not know. That is what I'm currently trying to find out. Your mother may know. Take me to her, now."  
  
Kori's face hardened. "Why should I? How can I know that you won't try to kill her for sport the way you did me?" She glared daggers at him.  
  
"Your mother will not come to any harm by my hand, you have my word as a Prince. And as for trying to kill you for sport, that was just to see how afraid I could make you. I would have knocked you out cold and been on my way, but not killed you. I'm under obligations not to start any commotion during my stay on your planet. You put up quite a good fight. It's not often I find people courageous enough to enter into battle with me," he said, no arrogance, just sincerity in his words. "Our people are a strong people, and widely feared across many solar systems. But, we too are being oppressed by a stronger being, Frieza," his face belied his rage at saying that name. "That bastard has enslaved us and used us as a means to gain profit for his empire. But I mean to put a stop to it. That is where Bardock comes in. He was a genius, and was inventing some things that could possibly turn the advantage against Frieza to our favor, but he fled our home planet years ago to complete his inventions in peace."   
  
This was a lot for Kori to assimilate. Earlier today, she'd been a weird human, with a few problems that were very small respectively. Now she was half-Saiyan? And a galactic Emperor was enslaving her people? He continued talking, "Word is that he came here, to Earth, and that was the last we've heard. So I came here in search of him." He looked to her to see if she would buy the story. It was probably a bit much for someone who had lived on the same planet their whole life, believing that they were just a freak of nature. But he had been straightforward with her.  
She thought for a few more agonizingly long seconds. //He could be lying about everything... But why would someone fabricate a story so crazy, just to go and kill the person you made up the story for? And in the other vision, it seemed as if I was on good terms with him and that other one. I guess I should trust him, until he gives me reason not to.// She let out a sigh, then, her face looking very determined, held out her hand to him. "I'm Kori. And I'll take you to talk to my mother. But she doesn't really like to talk about my father much. It upsets her. So if she starts crying, just leave her alone. Deal?"  
  
"Deal. Kori... That name even sounds Saiyan." He looked down at her hand. "What do you want," he asked almost peevishly.   
  
"Shake hands. It's the human way to seal a deal or to introduce yourself." She took his hand in hers and gripped it firmly, shaking it once. He gripped back, and smirked.   
  
"Humans are very peculiar. We usually seal a deal by threatening the other person with death." The look of shock on her face was priceless to him. This culture is too nice. I'll have to teach her the ways of her people. "Take me to see your mother. I'm not a very patient person."  
  
She just nodded and said, "Follow me," while pushing off into the air. He did just that, following just next to her and slightly behind.   
  
Vegeta was getting more and more certain that she was familiar somehow. //Her face... Where have I seen it before? KAKARROT! That's it! She's his half-sister... She looks like him, but feminine.// He looked over at her discreetly, noticing her in a way he hadn't thought to when he believed her to be just a weak native. She definitely had Saiyan blood running through her veins. Her hair, though discolored, was spiked and disorderly, and her eyes were dark pools of onyx. She was strongly built, yet smaller and shapelier than normal Saiyan females, with a grace unnatural to the race. Her tail was waving out behind her, a light brownish hue with different shades accenting it in colors he'd never really seen before. He felt himself blush slightly as his stomach fluttered a little. //Yes, she's definitely waaay more feminine than Kakkarot...// He realized that his discreet look had become more of a stare when he nearly flew into the branch of some indigenous flora. He recovered quickly, cursing himself and hoping she didn't notice.  
  
They soon landed in front of Kori's door, and she opened it, only to get tackled by her dog. She was weakened from her fight, so Donny actually managed to get her on the ground. Vegeta, thinking it was some kind of vicious wild animal, prepared to fry him to a crisp. Seeing him, though, she threw Donny off and stood directly in his way, spreading her arms to block his shot. "What are you doing, girl?! Move out of the way! That animal was attacking you, and I intend to dispose of it!"  
  
She tried to contain her laugh. "No, it's ok, really... He's my pet. He was just excited to see me." She looked back to Donny, who pushed against her legs to get a better view at the newcomer.   
  
"A pet? What for? For protection? He's considerably weaker than you, obviously..." He looked critically down at the canine, as if appraising a piece of machinery.  
  
Kori allowed herself to chuckle a little. "No, he's just here to keep me company. And to lay on my feet to keep them warm." She bent down and ruffled his ears, receiving a lick on the chin in response. "That's right, isn't it, Donny?"  
  
Vegeta looked at her as if she were insane. "Why are you talking to him? It's obvious he doesn't understand..."  
  
She just shrugged. "I think he does, just not on a verbal level. Well, enough of this, you need to talk to mom, and I am also kind of anxious to see what else about myself I have absolutely no clue about." She turned and walked into the house, Donny at her left, and a very confused Saiyan Prince at her heels. She found her mother in the back yard, hanging wet laundry out to dry. "Hi mom. I... Uh, I'd like you to meet a... Friend. Vegeta."  
  
Her mother looked up from her laundry to see her daughter, rather bloody, with some bruises forming on her face and arms, and her clothes ripped considerably. Next to her was a very handsome man with a very weird hairdo, but then she noticed his tail flicking out behind him, and nearly fell backwards. Kori grabbed her, holding her up. "What's the matter, mom? Are you allright?"  
  
"He... He's a S-saiyan..." She pointed at Vegeta.   
  
"Yes, that's right. And I'm surprised that you haven't told your daughter that she's one, too. Or half of one, at least. Am I correct in assuming that her father was named Bardock," he asked in the most polite tone he could muster. He was almost angry with this woman for withholding the girl's heritage from her.  
  
"Yes. He hasn't been on this planet for a very long time. You're royalty, aren't you?" She pointed to the insignia on the left chestplate of his armor. "The King-that was why Bardock left your planet, to get away from the King and some guy named Freezer."  
  
"My father, the King, is a horrible ruler, and Frieza is a tyrant who has enslaved half of the galaxy to do his bidding. A large faction consisting of Saiyans and members of other races that have been enslaved by Frieza means to gather together and rise up against him. We believe that Bardock was in the process of inventing some technologies that could give us the advantage in the event of a war. Do you know where he is? Or where he went to?" He was actually very polite... It must have been the dignitary in him, for this woman could very well be the difference between the rise to power or the demise of his people.   
  
"I can't tell you, because I don't really know. He left because some of Frieza's men came after him. He left a laboratory, though. I can show you where it is, but getting in is up to you. You may be able to find out where he went, or you may even find what you were looking for in there." She looked back at her daughter and realized how beaten-up she looked. "Honey, what happened? If you were human, I'd say you look like you got run over by a truck..." She remembered then how much she had just said in the presence of her daughter that would probably come as a shock.   
  
Kori's expression was, for the most part, unreadable. "So it's true, then. My whole life, I thought I was just a freak. And no matter how much I asked about father, you never told me anything. And now it turns out that I'm half alien, and the person who has to tell me doesn't even know me," her voice went up half a level as she gestured to Vegeta. Her mother made a move to come closer, opening her mouth to give a rebuttal, but Kori stepped back quickly, cutting her off, "No. Don't try to apologize... Just show me where the lab is, mother."   
  
//She's actually taking this rather well... A normal Saiyan would most likely have killed their mother were she stood,// Vegeta mused. Kori's mother hung her head in defeat, and turned, walking rather quickly up the hill next to the house. Kori and Vegeta followed her, over the hill, following the small creek near her house for about a quarter of a mile until they reached a waterfall. There was a small cave on the cliff face near it, and just before they entered the cave, Kori's mother turned to them and said, "The lab's right in there. I'll let you see if you can open it." She turned back, walking home quickly.  
  
Kori stood at the mouth of the cave, wanting desperately to go in, but also a little scared of what she might find. "What are you waiting for, girl? Start walking," she was ordered by a rather irate Vegeta. She scowled to herself, but started down the cave, nonetheless. At first the going was easy and straight, but after a couple hundred feet, it began to curve, sloping down lower into the earth. Soon Kori had to rely on trailing her hand along the wall to keep her on track. Vegeta, however, wasn't about to walk around this utterly foreign place blind. He held his hand out, palm up, forming a small ball of chi to light the area. Kori turned back, taking only a small moment to marvel at the idea chi could be used for light, then turned back to the path. With the light, they made it to the end of the path in no time. The only problem was, there wasn't anything there... Just a solid rock wall.   
  
"Oh, great. What do we do now," she asked to no one in particular. She was just a little frustrated at being led on a wild goose chase. Seeing no other options, she pushed hard on the wall of rock in front of her. Surprisingly, a control panel opened out of the rock on her right. The symbols displayed on the screen were foreign to her. //It's probably written in Saiyan.// "Hey, Vegeta," she said, "see if you can make anything of these symbols."  
  
He winced at being addressed so informally, but there would be time to adjust the girl's etiquette later. As Kori moved aside from the panel, he looked to the screen to see "Input access code" printed clearly in Saiyan. "It's asking for an access code. Do you have any idea what the code might be?"  
  
"I don't know. Let's try my name," she said hopefully. Vegeta typed in the Saiyan symbols for Kori. All of a sudden, the panel light up red, making a very loud buzzing sound. "That doesn't sound good..."  
  
"Shit... It says we have one minute to input the correct code, or the lab will self-destruct. Is there anything you can think of that your mother has told you about your father," Vegeta asked, hoping to get an idea of what Bardock would use as a password.  
  
"Mom hardly told me anything... What do you know about my dad from the people on your planet?"   
  
Vegeta racked his brain for any useful hints. //Kakkarrot! If it wasn't one child, maybe it was the other.// No harm now in trying. Kori watched closely as he typed it into the computer. The computer panel turned from red to green, drawing back into the wall, and then the wall itself simply depressed and slid aside to allow them entrance. "Holy shit! How did you know what to put in," Kori asked in disbelief.  
  
"Simple," he said, forgetting that they'd almost been blown up along with the lab. "If it wasn't your name, then I guessed it would probably be your brother's." With that, he walked into the dimly lit lab.  
  
Kori stared after him, soaking up yet another tidbit of information. //A brother? I've always wanted a sibling... "Wait a minute! I have a brother?! You didn't say anything about that before," she raised her voice to him while following into the laboratory.   
  
"Be quiet, girl, and help me look around," he ordered, falling quickly into business mode. The lab was huge, as big as any he'd seen in his palace on Vegeta-sei. Equipment was everywhere, most of which he had no idea what it was or how it worked. The far back wall was filled with display screens. Kori, in awe of the sheer size of the place, kept close to Vegeta, wondering if he was making any sense out of all this... stuff...  
  
As they approached the back wall, one of the screens whirred and flickered to life. On it was a line of Saiyan text, followed by what looked like a set of choices. For Kori's benefit, he read it out loud. "Encoded message ready for playback. Display?" He looked to her for an answer.  
  
"Why not, there's no warning. Maybe it's my father," she said hopefully. Vegeta, proud at the girl's fearlessness, touched the lefthand choice. The display flickered again, and revealed a well-built man with a deep scar on his left cheek and spiky chunks of black hair exploding from his head. Looking directly at them, he said, "This message has been recorded in the event that a Saiyan ever finds this lab. Freiza's men are on to me, I can sense it. They're coming towards this planet, but I can't let them have my mate, and especially not my daughter, she's too important. I'm leaving for the planet Namek in one day, and I'm making sure no one is able to track me this time. Under the console you are standing at is a chip which contains the coordinates of planet Namek should you wish to locate me. This chip will fit in most scouters, if not, it'll work in the computer you're standing at. It pains me to have to move my work so quickly, and especially on the brink of some especially intriguing breakthroughs, but in the end, it will all be worthwhile. Though I have forseen Vegeta-sei's destruction, I am confident that I can do something about it. If you, whoever you are, wish to defeat Freiza and King Vegeta, find me, and I shall offer you my assistance in any way possible. Any equipment of any importance, I have taken with me. You will find some blueprints for some spaceship designs in that drawer to your right-they may aid you on your way. If this is my daughter, I'd like you to know that I love you, and even if you don't remember me, I was a part of your life during your infancy. It pains me to leave you without a father, but I have seen that you will turn out fine without me. Be strong, and learn to use your gift, for that is what it truly is. To replay this message, simply press that green button with the circle on it in the upper left hand corner of the console. Bardock out." The screen flickered once more and went black. Kori stared into it for another few seconds, burning her father's face into her memory, hearing his words to her repeat over in her head. //My father loved me...// She quickly wiped a tear from her eye, an action that did not go unnoticed by the prince at her side.  
  
"I'm getting those blueprints he spoke of. Look under the console for a chip about this big," he said gesturing. She knelt down, looking first on the floor, then on the underside of the console itself. There was a small rectangular chip attached there, and she pulled at it gently, not knowing how to get it off. It came off into her hand instantly, and she held it out to Vegeta. He took it from her with a nod and inserted it into his scouter. After pressing the side of it a few times, he said, "Good, here are the coordinates of the planet Namek. I can see why he went there. It's away from any of the planets in Freiza's empire, and getting there is rough going." He pressed the button on his scouter again, and looked up to Kori. "There is nothing else of use here, but I will need assistance in building a ship that will get me to Namek. I fear that the small pod I came in would not make that journey easily."  
  
"You could stay at my place tonight, I'm sure my mom won't mind," she said, trying not to think of how her mother had hurt her. "I think I have a friend who could help you with the ship dilemma. We can go and visit her tomorrow. Right now, I need to rest and see to my injuries. Besides, if you're anything like I am, after that fight, you've gotta be starving," she said, smiling at him.  
  
He smirked back at her, "Yes, some rest and some real food would do me some good right now. I'm tired of field rations." She simply nodded and walked out of the laboratory. After they both exited, the rock wall slid closed behind them, and they found it hard to even see where the entrance to the lab had been. As they were walking back to Kori's house, Vegeta couldn't help but realize that the girl was probably a little more injured than he had thought. Her breathing was quick, and her walking pace was slowing noticeably. He watched her cradling her left side as they entered the house, and she went straight for the bathroom, completely ignoring the wonderful smells of food coming from the kitchen. His superb hearing picked up a few small noises of pain as she patched herself up, but all in all, she took her injuries like a warrior, a fact that pleased him greatly. She came out of the bathroom about 30 minutes later, clean from a shower and freshly clothed, with a few bandages covering some of her more serious abrasions. She let her nose lead her straight past Vegeta, who had taken a seat on the back of the couch, to the kitchen, where her mother was preparing to feed two Saiyans (or a large army).   
  
She seated herself at her usual spot at the table, and after a few awkward minutes of silence, she said, "Mom, do you think Vegeta could stay with us tonight?"  
  
Her mother turned and smiled, glad that her daughter was at least speaking to her, and said, "Sure, hon. He doesn't have anywhere to stay, and it would be rude to tell him to leave. I'm even fixing enough food for two hungry Saiyans." She ruffled her daughter's slightly damp hair and turned back to her cooking.  
  
Not having ignored the conversation, Vegeta entered the kitchen, wondering what to do. "Go ahead and have a seat, mom said you could stay tonight, and she's making enough dinner for all of us." Vegeta, not having to be asked twice to eat, quickly sat down at the table right next to Kori. In no time at all, her mother had the table filled with food, and Kori and Vegeta quickly dug into the meal.  
  
***  
  
AN: Well, there's another one... Thanks to Lynz, Hibari Heza, Selenity Jade, The Blue Sorceress, Jade Dragosani, and Ranea for reviewing. ^_^ I'm so happy I finally got some reviews ^_^  
  
::Rapo:: *strolls in* Ano... Is this a bad time?  
  
*sighs* For what?  
  
::Rapo:: *stomach growls LOUDLY*  
  
*glares* Oh, fine... Come on, let's go get you something to eat... Thanks for reading, minna, and please review! ^_^ Ja ne! 


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